Sun-Hawk
The Sun-Hawk is a type of medium warshipInto the Fire used as an A-Class battle cruiserThe Official Guide to Babylon 5 (CD ROM) by Drazi Military. The pak'ma'ra are also using Sun-Hawk class ships as transports.Lines of Communication The Drazi Freehold uses these ships for various purposes ranging from assault missions through escort missions to patrolling duties. Sun-Hawks played a key role during the Second Shadow War on the side of Army of Light. Characteristics The Sun-Hawk is configured only for non-atmospheric combat and while the ship is not equipped with a dedicated hanger bay, a Sun-Hawk can be adapted to mount a single Sky Serpent fighter on a dorsal docking cradle.Matters of HonorJMS Post on rec.arts.sf.tv.babylon5.moderated - 1/22/1994 thumb|A single [[Sky Serpent launching from a Sun-Hawk.|left]] The Sun-Hawk was initially designed less than a year before the Dilgar War and was rushed it into production by the Freehold as hostilities escalated. As a result, the Sun-Hawks have seen a number of upgrades to both the drive systems and armaments over the years. thumb|The cockpit of a Sun-Hawk. By 2264 a Sun-Hawk's standard armament consisted of four Medium Plasma Cannons mounted on the outboard nacelles,The Fall of Centauri Prime a single nose mounted Particle Beam CannonAnd All My Dreams, Torn Asunder that was added to the design in 2238 and a pair of Missile Launchers that became a part of the Sun-Hawks's standard munitions in 2257.Movements of Fire and Shadow Like other Drazi ships, Sun-Hawks utilize a unique drive and power system significantly different from those of other races such as the particle thrust engines on Earth Alliance ships or the gravimetric drives on Minbari vessels.JMS Post on rec.arts.sf.tv.babylon5.moderated - 6/29/1994 1:37:00 PM (as of year 2258) However in 2239, the Freehold acquired Centauri power and drive technology from the Narn Regime which were retrofitted into a few select craft. Drazi military organisation is intentionally decentralised, stemming from the idea that that they work best in smaller groups and the Sun-Hawk was built with this in mind. As a smaller and less costly ship to build in comparison to larger scale, more traditional capital ships such as the Minbari Federation's Sharlin class warcruiser or Earth Alliance's Omega class destroyer, the Sun-Hawk could be built in larger numbers and be deployed over a wider area. When missions require the firepower of a heavy cruiser, it's simple enough to organise a small task force of Sun-Hawks, who's combined tactical strength compensates for the relative weakness of a single Sun-Hawk. During the Shadow War, the Drazi committed a large number of Sun-Hawks to the multi-planetary fleet organized by then Captain John Sheridan, retaining the recently upgraded Sun-Hawks for homeworld defence, sending only the ships still in the original configuration into the conflict.Shadow Dancing They also acted in a supporting role for the Earth Alliance Resistance's Liberation Fleet, alongside other League vessels during the later phase of the conflict in 2261.Between the Darkness and the LightEndgame They would later see action in the Centauri War of 2262 and participated in the defence of Earth during the onset of the Drakh War in 2266.A Call to ArmsWar Zone Notable Vessels * Strakath: A part of the fleet that fought at the Battle of Coriana VI. During the final phase of the battle, the Strakath was destroyed when it took a missile hit meant for Captain Sheridan's flagship, the ''White Star 2''. Into the Fire Behind the Scenes The CG model of Sun-Hawk was designed and built by Foundation Imaging Co-Founder Ron Thornton and was heavily influenced by the Liberator model from the BBC sci-fi series Blake's 7.Sun-Hawk at B5Scrolls The original model that appeared in ("Deathwalker") featured a distinct red/orange aft section, though in all later appearances this was covered by a more conventional-looking grey casing. Appearances References ;Other Sources * Sierra's 'Into The Fire' website archived on firstones.com Category:Ship classes Category:Drazi Ships